diff --git a/Doxyfile b/Doxyfile
index 5f351c1bbb..61dd690f97 100644
--- a/Doxyfile
+++ b/Doxyfile
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ PROJECT_NAME           = ESPHome
 # could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or if some version
 # control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 2026.2.3
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 2026.2.4
 
 # Using the PROJECT_BRIEF tag one can provide an optional one line description
 # for a project that appears at the top of each page and should give viewer a
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp
index 7a93de5728..b09cff76ec 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp
@@ -116,12 +116,7 @@ const char *get_disconnect_reason_str(uint8_t reason) {
 }
 
 WiFiSTAConnectStatus WiFiComponent::wifi_sta_connect_status_() const {
-  // Use cyw43_wifi_link_status instead of cyw43_tcpip_link_status because the Arduino
-  // framework's __wrap_cyw43_cb_tcpip_init is a no-op — the SDK's internal netif
-  // (cyw43_state.netif[]) is never initialized. cyw43_tcpip_link_status checks that netif's
-  // flags and would only fall through to cyw43_wifi_link_status when the flags aren't set.
-  // Using cyw43_wifi_link_status directly gives us the actual WiFi radio join state.
-  int status = cyw43_wifi_link_status(&cyw43_state, CYW43_ITF_STA);
+  int status = cyw43_tcpip_link_status(&cyw43_state, CYW43_ITF_STA);
   switch (status) {
     case CYW43_LINK_JOIN:
     case CYW43_LINK_NOIP:
diff --git a/esphome/const.py b/esphome/const.py
index aaa34b2fd1..173e2b7be6 100644
--- a/esphome/const.py
+++ b/esphome/const.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 
 from esphome.enum import StrEnum
 
-__version__ = "2026.2.3"
+__version__ = "2026.2.4"
 
 ALLOWED_NAME_CHARS = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-_"
 VALID_SUBSTITUTIONS_CHARACTERS = (